Paramount brings back Harold Bell Wright's beloved drama of the human heart

Starring: John Wayne, Betty Field, Harry Carey Sr., Ward Bond, Beulah Bondi, James Barton, Marjorie Main, John Qualen

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I got too big for my britches. I ain't an orphan no more." – Matt Matthews

Why watch this? It's about a father who deserted his wife and son. What is created in the wake of that event?

Plot Summary: An Ozark Mountains moonshiner, Matt harbors deep hatred for his unknown father, believing he abandoned his mother. This bitterness fuels animosity within the local community until a mysterious stranger, Daniel Howitt, arrives and begins to exert a gentle, positive influence on the mountain people, encouraging them to shed their hostility. Matt, however, remains wary of Howitt, because he has expressed a desire to purchase the homeplace.

Dad's Preview: This beautiful film (set in the back-country Ozarks) came early in Wayne's career, and does not follow the standard Western format using cattle drives and gunfights. The plot deals with a young man whose father mysteriously vanished years ago. From my personal experience, I can relate; that's why this movie always impacts me emotionally. It focuses on broken relationships, long-held superstitious traditions and a young man's promise to kill the man who destroyed his family. Wayne often cited fellow Western actor Harry Carey Sr. as his mentor. Duke said Harry taught him how to deliver lines in a more natural way by slowing down and using pauses for affect. Here we get to see them on screen together, and you can just feel the respect between these two screen icons.

Paramount Pictures